Recuperative annealing furnace



| March 19, 1929. J, SCHNEPF 1,70 5, 686

RECUPERATI NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN CE INvENToR Johann Sc/me/ajf BY i ATTRNEY Fatented Man lQ, 1929;

JOHAIQ'H SCI-INEI'F, OF NB-IVI'BERGyGEMANY, ASSIVGNOB TO WE'TINGHOUE ELEC- (ERIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CQRPIORATION OF' PNNSYLVANIA. 1

REGUERATIYE ANNEALING EUR-MGE! Arplicafifm fileeouabr 29., Iwfierial Nei-22711413) ele ir Germanytmigust 1.4, 1926-1 chambe'rs in oppositely moving streains,Vsol

that the Chamber into Which the material is moved after heatinglisathacent a ch'amberof the other roW intowvhich the Cold or untreated material has been placed. Preheatmg r of the untreated material is thereby effected.

Such arrangements v are disadvantageous, however, because of theflarge area lof floor space required for the installation.

An object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a recuperative heat treatingfurnacef `With the successive Chambers thereof so arranged that the floor space required forthe installation is reduced to a minimum.

n practicing in'y invention, .I provide an; open-end furnace Chamber in vvhiohthe main heatingI Operation takes place and tWo laterally adjacentchambers communicating there- With and open atythe outer endsthereof to pcrmit the insertion and removalof material to be neat trcated. One ofthetwo laterally adjacent chambers receivesthe'material from i the heating Chamber to permit a relatively sio-iv Cooling thereof, and heat therefrom preheats untreated material in the other'chamer. v

ln the drawings:v i i i Figure 1 is a view, in vertical longitudinal section, of a furnace embodying my invention;

Fig. is a' view, inv vertical longitudinal section, of a slightlymodified form of my invention; and,

Fig. 3 is a view, in vertical:longitudinal section, of another modificatilon ofrny inven-` tion.

Beferring more particularly to Fig. 1,'a plurality of Walls 2 of suitablerefract-ory heat-insulating material definev a furnace Chamber 4 open at one end for the reception of the material to be heated. 'An electricalresisi'ancel heating .element 7, substantially helical in form,,surrounds the Chamber 4 to effect the heating thereof and is protected by an open-end sleeve 6 of a suitable heat f pesistant:material of high thermal Conductivity.

Cooperating With the open end of the furi nace Chamber 4 is a mass of refractory matev and the' upper Wall is sloped upvvardly from the level of the roof of Chamber 4'tov form an enlar'o'ed Charging Opening for theheat'i'ng cham er,

A shell 12, .substantially Coextensive ininternal dimensions vvith the large end of passagelO, is Secured to the refractoryport'ionpS in any desired manner, and is provided vvithV a longitudinally extending partition 14 formingtwo adJaCent chanibers and 1,8, The

shell 12 and partition 14`l are of, a` refractory material of relatively lngh'thermal Conductivity, ror a purpose hereinafter described.

, The ylongitudina'l'v a'Xes of Chambers 4,' 16.

"and 18 are substantially parallel and disposed at an angle to'the horizontali The strilcture` With the Structure described, a Continuous passage-is for'med through fthechamben 16 Vis maintained inoperating position byv suitable framework 20 Secured thereto. i

into the heating Chamber 4 and lback fromb the. Chamber 18. l

V In Fig, 2,' the Construction is substantially the .same as above described'except,that the -longitudinal axes of. thechambers 1,6V and 18' vare angularly disposed With respect to each otherand, cooperatewith the furnaoechamber 4, provide a continuoiis passage of V- shape. v i In Fig. 3, a Wall and Chamber 4 are the same asthe corrsponding elements in Fig. 1.

Secured to the ,open`V end of the'heating Chambei` Structure is a refractory mass 22 ,having an aperture 24 extending therethrough inV alinenient wvithl the Chamber 4 and substan-fv tially ooextensive, in internal dimension's,

rails 36 so that ehambers 30 and 32 may be successively brought into alinement with the passage 24.

A hand-driven gear 38 Cooperating with a raek 40, Secured to wall 26, effects the movement thereof.

In Operation, referring -more particularly to Fig. 1, material to be heat treated is placed in Chamber 16 and moved successively into Chamber Li, for the heating Operation, and,

upon the Completion thereof, into Chamber' 18 for relatively slow Cooling. The material in the present instance (not shown), is wire which is bundled to a size to permit the insertion thereof into the successive Chambers. As each bundle in Chamber 18 becomes Suiiic-iently Cooled, it is withdrawn and the bundle in Chamber 4 which has been heated is mm'ed thereinto. A bundle from Chambei' 16 is then moved into Chamber 11 and a cold untreated bundle is placed in Chamber 16.

VTWith the arrangement of parts and the procedure described, each bundle placed in Chamber 16 is preheated by the heat `given off by a bundle in Chamber 18, as it is Cooling. A considerable saving is thereby eifected, both in the energy required to heat the material in Chamber li to the desired tenjieratnre, and in the length of time required to bring the bundle up to the desired heat.

The operation of the furnace shown in Fig. 2 is identical with that shown in Fig. 1, the main difference being that the paths of movement of the bundles into and out of the heating Chamber are substantially in aV straight line and the handiing` of the bundles is thereby facilitated.

in the Operation of the Structure shown in Fig. 3, the same general idea of utilizing the ieat given off by the material while Cooling, to preheat the untreated material, is utilized. In this modification, the Cold or untreated material is placed in Chamber 80 and the heated material is in Chamber 32 for Cooling. Vhen the suficiently Cooled bundle of material is removed from Chamber 32, the hot bundle from Chamber 4; is moved thereinto, and, by means of the hand Wheel and gearing 88 and 40, the Chamber Structure is dropped to bring` Chamber 30 into alinement with Chamber 24. The material in Chaniiber 30, which has been preheated by heat from the bundle Cooling in Chamber 32, is then moved into the Chamber 311 to be heated. A cold bundle is then placed in Chamber 80 tob be preheated.

By my invention, I have provided a re- Cuperative heat-treating furnace which is eiiicient in Operation and which reduces to a minimum the fioor space required for the installation thereof.

l/Vhile I have shown and vdescribed a particular furnace design and have specilied the materials used in the Construction thereof, it is obvious that departure may be made therefrom and still bel within the scope of my invention. F or example, in Fig. 3 the manual means for Controlling` the movement of the Chamber structure 26 is purelyV schematic and may be accomplished in any well known manner, and, so far as the Operation of the several modifications is concerned, the particular source of heat employed is immaterial.

Modifications may be made in my invention without departing' from the spirit and scope thereof, and l desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art and by the appended Claims.

I Claim as my invention:

1. In a recuperative heat treating furnace, the combination with a heating Chamber provided with an Opening` at one end thereof, of a memoer mounted for movement laterally of said heating Chamber Opening, and provided with a passage therethrough, a partition ofV low thermal condnctivity longitudinally dividing said passage into two ehambers, andV means for meving said member to bringl said chambers successively into alinement with said heating Chamber Opening, to facilitate the Charging and discharging;V of said heating Chamber, whereby material in one of said chambers which has beenheated in said heat- .ing Chamber effects the preheating` of cold material in the other Chamber.

2. in an annealinp; furnace, the combii'iation with a heating Chamber provided' with an Opening at one end thereof for the reCep-` ,tion of material to be heated, of a movable member provided with two laterally adjacent i passages therethrough forming and Cooling` chambers, and means for moving said chambers successively into comn'iunica'- tion with said heating Chamber, wherebyV heated material may be moved into said Cooling Chamber to effect the preheating;` of material in said prehe tinp; Chamber and material in said prehea; 7; Chamber may be moved into said heating Chamber.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this it-h day of August,

JOHANN SCHNEPF. 

